More

Smartphone winners 2016: what do you think of the EISA awards?

The European Imaging and Sound Association has decided the best smartphones of 2016. Jurors from 50 editorial offices across 23 European countries each voted for winners in four categories. Do you agree with EISA for choosing the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10, LG G5 and Huawei P9?

A consortium of European technology journalists selected the best smartphones from among several different categories. Important criteria were "advanced technology; most desirable features; ultimate expression of design; most satisfying ergonomics and the best price-performance ratio." Below we show you the four main winners and invite you to join the discussion.

The fact that the camera of the Galaxy S7 takes good pictures is undeniable. However, the professionals at DxOMark don't agree with EISA's judgment and place the HTC 10 above it in its ranking. In its judgment EISA writes:

"The camera featured on Samsung’s flagship duo is capable of an amazing performance in practically every shooting environment. The Dual Pixel Sensor boasts 12 megapixels with extended size that speed up the process of autofocusing using phase detection. The brighter f/1.7 lens captures more light and makes the camera capable of highly detailed and beautiful pictures even in the dark. You can save photos in RAW format and shoot videos in 4K resolution. The camera software of the Galaxy S7 / S7 edge is smart and easy to use and provides a Pro mode for those occasions when manual settings are required for highly creative and professional-looking photographs".

Many of the points also apply to other devices, so it's not clear on which points the Galaxy S7 camera is actually better than the Huawei P9 or HTC 10. But that's not so bad. Those devices received different awards.

Opinion by Eric Ferrari-Herrmann

The Galaxy S7/Edge camera is good, but not the best of any smartphone.

What do you think?

50

50

176 participants

EISA Award 2016-2017 "Mobile innovation ': LG G5

The LG G5 is considered innovative, but has had little success in the past few months. AndroidPIT was also convinced of LG's courage and it even won the Korean company an award in February. Unfortunately, that was not enough to bring big success. However, its price is now falling faster than any other smartphone on the market.

"A fascinating high-end smartphone in its own right, it’s the inclusion of LG’s Friends feature that elevates the G5 to the realms of true excellence. The innovative modular design makes the phone look, act and feel different according to your specific needs at any particular moment. It also shoots amazing pictures, thanks to its dual camera system with wide-angle lens option. Users can add the CAM Plus module as a lightweight grip to provide dedicated manual controls at the tip of the finger, or enhance the audio quality using the 32-bit DAC of the Hi-Fi Plus Module. The G5 also features an amazing 5.3-inch Quad HD display with 850 nits maximum brightness and high pixel density for a perfect viewing experience even outdoors."

Especially alongside the Moto Z, the biggest talking point of the G5 is expansion through modules. Instead of opening the phone up, there is a magnetic panel that users can snap accessories to. Why it was not lauded by EISA, we will explain below.

Opinion by Eric Ferrari-Herrmann

EISA's award can not save the LG G5.

What do you think?

50

50

139 participants

EISA Award 2016-2017 "Consumer smartphone": Huawei P9

The category "European consumer smartphone" goes to the Chinese-built Huawei P9. Undoubtedly, Huawei has brought a competitive device to the market and we've recommended it to buyers. There are also buying arguments here from EISA:

"Sometimes the value of getting the important stuff right cannot be understated, and that’s precisely what the Huawei P9 does. Sporting a 5.2-inch IPS-NEO LCD with Full HD resolution, octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 955 SoC and Android OS 6.0 with Emotion UI 4.1, the P9 is available in an impressive choice of finishes produced from a wide variety of materials. But that’s not all, Huawei makes history by being the first manufacturer to introduce Leica’s photography knowhow to mobile devices. The dual-lens camera captures more light and provides better clarity for both photos and videos. While the 3000 mAh battery has enough power for capturing every precious moment between charging, the classy finish of those diamond-cut edges with rounded corners on the unibody design combined with 2.5D glass makes the P9 both practical and beautiful in equal measure."

The P9 is successful because it costs $100-$200 less than a Galaxy S7.

What do you think?

50

50

140 participants

EISA Award 2016-2017 "Advanced smartphone": HTC 10

The category "European Advanced Smartphone" went to Taiwanese company HTC. The text reads like a mixture of those for the Huawei P9 and LG G5. It also focuses on the improved HTC Sense user interface:

"Boasting the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, ably backed up by 4 GB of RAM, a 5.2-inch QHD display, 3000 mAh battery and Quick Charge 3.0 charger, HTC’s 10 has a stunning UltraPixel camera with 12 megapixels resolution and a selfie-camera. OIS and HTC’s Sense UI largely purified of duplicate apps and bloatware are just some of the notable specifications that make this the best flagship smartphone of the year. But scratch under the surface and you’ll discover a whole host of other standout features. Add to the mix a 24-bit Hi-Res Audio certified audio DAC for the highest quality sound and a gorgeous unibody metal design with chamfered contours and dual-textured finish, and it’s clear why the HTC 10 puts the smart into smartphone."

The HTC 10 is definitely an excellent smartphone. However, it's a bit too late to recommend this phone for purchase if you're looking for innovation and a pure Android experience.

Opinion by Eric Ferrari-Herrmann

Those who want an HTC with pure Android are now waiting for the new Nexus devices.

What do you think?

50

50

130 participants

Who fell through the cracks

EISA only included products that could be purchased from October 1 within the year the winners were selected. So the Lenovo Moto Z, or the older Nexus 5X and 6P, and even the upcoming Nexus smartphones Sailfish and Marlin, all fell through the cracks. So the judgments that EISA applied to each of the above smartphones are already partially outdated. Some models are coming to market that make the above products look old, especially within the next six weeks. This includes:

This doesn't make sense to include only phones that could be purchased from 1st October. there will always be a big gap between now and the next 1st of October. phones that are always released in this time frame will never be included. Take the Galaxy Note 7 for example.

I am subscribing to the Email newsletter. I have understood the privacy policy.

I am able to revoke my consent to the use of my e-mail address at any time with immediate effect by clicking on the "Unsubscribe now" link at the end of the newsletter or by changing the newsletter settings in my Profile under "Email Notifications and Newsletter".

ID4me is an internet service that enables its users to log in to many different internet services with one account. This is also known as "single sign on".

Unlike existing global single sign on solutions like the ones from Google or Facebook, ID4me does not track and analyze the internet surfing habits of its users. ID4me will make sure that the surfing habits stay secret.

Also, ID4me does not belong to an enterprise. It is an open standard that is maintained by a nonprofit organization. Anyone who wants to can participate. This way the users can chose freely between different ID4me providers and can also change the provider anytime.